The Roman Empire

This consisted of all the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Atlantic Ocean in the west. The Empire included many ethnic groups speaking different languages, but the common language was Greek.

The Apostle Paul proclaimed the good news of the Messiah from Arabia to Rome, and in most places he spoke in the Greek language. He travelled twice through the province of Galatia, which included the regions of Phrygia, Lycaonia, and Pisidia. See the map below.

The empire was ruled by an emperor in Rome and by the Roman senate. The first twelve emperors were known by their family name Caesar. Later the name was used as a title, regardless of whether the bearer also had it as a family name.